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Mr Houchen led after the first round of voting, securing 40,278 votes, while Labour received 39,797. Once the second preferences of UKIP and Lib Dem voters were accounted for, it was enough to secure victory for Mr Houchen.

The victory was announced in front of supporters at the Thornaby Pavilion count on Friday morning.

The £35,800-a-year job has been created as part of a £450m devolution deal which will see more powers transferred to the region from Westminster.

The mayor will oversee the area referred to as the ‘Tees Valley’ by a new, combined local authority.

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Speaking to The Gazette before his election , Mr Houchen said: “My overarching priority is jobs. Everything I do and all of the decisions I take will be to create an environment and a local economy that creates good quality jobs for the people of Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool.

“We need vision and we need to be bold and if elected mayor I will help make Teesside a powerhouse of the UK.